Men’s Boots: A Storied History

The original design of many of our most beloved styles of men’s leather boots have a long and colorful history too. Men’s chelsea boots date back to 1837 when they were created by bootmaker J. Sparkes-Hall for the House of Queen Victoria. The Queen herself had requested a boot be made without laces because they kept getting stuck in her stirrups while riding. The name chelsea was adopted in the 1950s when they became popular in the UK especially in the London Borough of Chelsea. The black chelsea boots brought over during the British invasion left a lasting mark on footwear fashion.

It is thought that men’s chukka boots got their name from the game of polo where a chukka or chukker is a seven-minute period of play. These boots were similar to the boots worn by polo players after matches. A variation of the chukka boot, known as the desert boot, was first seen during the desert campaign of World War II. Here it was given a crepe sole that afforded better traction in the desert than the traditional leather sole.

Today wearing a pair of men’s leather boots adds a bit of edge to any look. Men’s dress boots and men’s casual boots always add a touch of style. Along with the aforementioned black chelsea boots and chukka boots, at Stacy Adams we have a selection of men’s boots that include classic lace up men’s boots to men’s chukka boots. These are a few of our most popular styles.